Tag Archives: vintage and rare

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August 10, 2012

| Author: Vintage & Rare

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How to date vintage fender amps

June 13, 2012

| Author: Vintage & Rare

Dating Fender Amps

1951-1967 – Tube chart on the inside of the amp is stamped with two letters (A – Q):

The first letter designates the year and the second letter designates the month.

A 1951 JAN
B 1952 FEB
C 1953 MAR
D 1954 APR
E 1955 MAY
F 1956 JUN
G 1957 JUL
H 1958 AUG
I 1959 SEP
J 1960 OCT
K 1961 NOV
L 1962 DEC
M 1963
N 1964
O 1965
P 1966
Q 1967

Mid ’70s – early ’80s – Amplifiers are dated much the same way as Fender guitars from the same era:

B + 5 digits 1975 – 1976
A6 + 5 digits 1976
A7 + 5 digits 1977
A8 + 5 digits 1978
A9 + 5 digits 1979
F0 + 5 digits 1980
F1 + 5 digits 1981
F2 + 5 digits 1982 – 1983
F3 + 5 digits 1983 – 1984
F4 + 5 digits 1984 – 1985
F9 + 5 digits 1979 – 1980

Dating Contemporary Fender Amplifiers

All Fender amplifiers manufactured from 1990 – present include a date code printed on the quality assurance (QA) sticker on the back of the amp chassis, and are dated the by the first letter as the year and the second letter as the month.

A 1990 JAN
B 1991 FEB
C 1992 MAR
D 1993 APR
E 1994 MAY
F 1995 JUN
G 1996 JUL
H 1997 AUG
I 1998 SEP
J 1999 OCT
K 2000 NOV
L 2001 DEC
M 2002
N 2003
O 2004
P 2005

ALL other Fender Amplifiers can be dated by the components inside:

In almost every Fender amplifier there are several EIA (manufacturer) codes followed by a date code, typically found on the speaker(s), transformer(s), tubes, caps, and occasionally pots. The EIA code will consist of 3 numbers followed by a date code of 3 or 4 numbers designating the year and the week. To give an example, a typical Oxford speaker from the ’60s will look something like: 465-217. 465 designating the Oxford EIA code, 2 designating the year 1962, and 17 designating the 17th week of ’62. Take a look at this ’62 Fender Princeton Amp, and you’ll see that exact speaker, as well as the typical Schumacher transformers (EIA 606) used in Fender amplifiers.

Serial Number ranges from amplifiers made between the late ’40s – late ’70s:

Bandmaster 5C7, 5D7 (tweed)
0001 to 0800 – 1953
5000 to 5500 – 1954

Bandmaster 5E7 (tweed)
S00001 to S00350 – 1955
S00350 to S01200 – 1956
S01100 to S01800 – 1957
S01700 to S02500 – 1958
S02500 to S03700 – 1959

Bandmaster 5G7, 6G7 (brown)
00001 to 0100 -1960

Bandmaster 6G7, 6G7-A (blonde)
00001 to 02400 –  1960
02300 to 05100 –  1961
49000 to 58000 –  1962
58000 to 59200 –  1963

Bandmaster AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00001 to A01700 – 1963
A01400 to A08000 – 1964
A07700 to A17000 – 1965
A16000 to A22000 – 1966
A20000 to A27000 – 1967

Bandmaster AB763, AC568 (silverface)
A26000 to A29000 – 1967
A28000 to A34000 – 1968
A33000 to A34000 – 1969
A34000 to A45000 – 1970-72

Bandmaster Reverb AA768, AA1069, AA270, TFL5005 (silverface)
A31000 to A35000 – 1968
A35000 to A45000 – 1969
A45000 to A49000 – 1970
A48000 to A54000 – 1971
A54000 to A59000 – 1972
A59000 to A66000 – 1973
A66000 to A77000 – 1974
A75000 to A78000 – 1975
A78000 to A80000 – 1976

Bassman 5B6 (tweed)
0001 to 0300 – 1951
0300 to 0400 – 1952
0400 to 0600 – 1953

Bassman 5D6, 5D6-A (tweed)
0600 to 0900 – 1954

Bassman 5E6, 5E6-A (tweed)
0100 to 0200 – 1955
BM00001 to BM00550 – 1955
BM00550 to BM01200 – 1956
BM01200 to BM01600 – 1957

Bassman 5F6, 5F6-A (tweed)
BM00001 to BM00400 – 1957
BM00400 to BM01500 – 1958
BM01500 to BM03100 – 1959
BM03100 to BM04600 – 1960

Bassman 6G6, 6G6-A, 6G6-B (blonde)
BP00100 to BP01100 – 1961
BP01100 to BP05000 – 1962
BP05000 to BP08400 – 1963
BP08400 to BP12000 – 1964

Bassman AA864, AA165, AB165 (blackface)
A00100 to A03800 – 1964
A03800 to A15000 – 1965
A15000 to A25000 – 1966
A24000 to A33000 – 1967

Bassman AB165, AC568, AA270, AA371 (silverface)
A32000 to A40000 – 1967
A39000 to A49000 – 1968
A48000 to A58000 – 1969
A58000 to A60000 – 1970

Bronco AB764 (silverface)
A19000 to A21000 – 1967
A20000 to A26000 – 1968
A25000 to A28000 – 1969
A28000 to A29000 – 1970
A29000 to A32000 – 1971
A32000 to A35000 – 1972
A33000 to A39000 – 1973
A39000 to A42000 – 1974
A42000 to A51000 – 1975

Champion 800 (tweed)
01 to 1000 – 1948-49

Champion 600 5B1 (tweed)
01 to 1300 – 1948-49
1300 to 1700 – 1950
1700 to 5000 – 1951-52
5000 to 5500 – 1953

Champ 5C1, 5D1 (tweed)
5500 to 6600 – 1953
6600 to 8000 – 1954
8000 to 9999 – 1955

Champ 5E1, 5F1 (tweed)
C00001 to C00800 – 1955
C00800 to C03100 – 1956
C03100 to C06000 – 1957
C06000 to C08800 – 1958
C08800 to C12500 – 1959
C12500 to C15500 – 1960
C15500 to C16800 – 1961
C17000 to C19000 – 1962
C19000 to C21000 – 1963
C21000 to C23000 – 1964

Champ AA764 (blackface)
A00100 to A02000 – 1964
A01900 to A05200 – 1965
A05200 to A12000 – 1966
A12000 to A12200 – 1967

Champ AA764 (silverface)
A12200 to A13900 – 1968
A13900 to A18000 – 1969
A18000 to A30500 – 1970
A30500 to A32000 – 1971
A32000 to A35000 – 1972
A32000 to A42000 – 1973
A42000 to A50000 – 1974
A50000 to A63000 – 1975
A63000 to A85000 – 1976

Concert 5G12, 6G12, 6G12-A (brown)
00001 to 02400 –  1960
02300 to 05100 –  1961
49000 to 58000 –  1962
58000 to 59200 –  1963

Concert AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00001 to A01700 – 1963
A01400 to A08000 – 1964
A07700 to A08800 – 1965

Model 26 Deluxe (woodie)
100 to 1500 – 1946-48

Deluxe 5A3, 5B3 (tweed)
001 to 800 – 1948
800 to 1900 – 1949
1900 to 3000 – 1950
3000 to 5400 – 1951
5400 to 6800 – 1952
6800 to 7300 – 1953

Deluxe 5C3, 5D3 (tweed)
0001 to 1500 – 1953
1500 to 3600 – 1954
3600 to 5300 – 1955

Deluxe 5E3 (tweed)
D00001 to D01400 – 1955
D01400 to D03000 – 1956
D03000 to D05000 – 1957
D05000 to D06800 – 1958
D06800 to D09000 – 1959
D09000 to D10000 – 1960
D10000 to D11000 – 1961

Deluxe 6G3, 6G3-A (brown)
D00100 to D00900 – 1961
D00800 to D03800 – 1962
D03800 to D04900 – 1963

Deluxe AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00100 to A00500 – 1963
A00500 to A02800 – 1964
A02800 to A05600 – 1965
A05600 to A06100 – 1966
A06100 to A06500 – 1967

Deluxe Reverb AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00100 to A00300 – 1963
A00300 to A03900 – 1964
A03900 to A13000 – 1965
A12000 to A19000 – 1966
A19000 to A24000 – 1967

Deluxe Reverb AB763, AB868 (silverface)
A24000 to A26000 – 1967
A26000 to A28500 – 1968
A28500 to A33000 – 1969
A31000 to A33000 – 1970
A33000 to A34500 – 1971
A34500 to A37000 – 1972
A37000 to A39000 – 1973
A39000 to A42000 – 1974
A42000 to A43000 – 1975
A43000 to A45000 – 1976

Dual Showman AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00100 to A01400 – 1963
A01400 to A01700 – 1964
A01700 to A04300 – 1965
A04300 to A08000 – 1966
A07800 to A12000 – 1967

Dual Showman AB763, AC568 (silverface)
A12000 to A12500 – 1967
A12500 to A15000 – 1968

Dual Showman Reverb AA768, AA769, AA270, TFL5000 (silverface)
A13900 to A16500 – 1968
A16500 to A22400 – 1969
A21700 to A25600 – 1970
A25600 to A37000 – 1971
A37000 to A50500 – 1972
A50500 to A68000 – 1973
A68000 to A99999 – 1974
A81000 to A99999 – 1975
B01000 to B15000 – 1975
B15000 to B68000 – 1976

Harvard 5F10 (tweed)
H00100 to H00500 – 1956
H00500 to H01400 – 1957
H01400 to H02000 – 1958
H02000 to H02600 – 1959
H02600 to H03400 – 1960
H03400 to H03500 – 1961

Musicmaster Bass CFA-7010 (silverface)
A00100 to A04100 – 1972
A04100 to A07900 – 1973
A07900 to A09500 – 1974
A09500 to A09800 – 1975
A09800 to A10500 – 1976

Princeton 5B2, 5C2, 5D2 (tweed)
2500 to 3600 – 1953
3600 to 4400 – 1954
4400 to 4700 – 1955

Princeton 5F2, 5F2-A (tweed)
P0001 to P00350 – 1955
P0001 to P01100 – 1956
P01100 to P02400 – 1957
P02400 to P03000 – 1958
P03000 to P04300 – 1959
P04300 to P07000 – 1960

Princeton 6G2, 6G2-A (brown)
P00100 to P01000 – 1961
P01000 to P05100 – 1962
P05100 to P07200 – 1963
P07100 to P09900 – 1964

Princeton AA964 (blackface)
A00100 to A02500 – 1964
A02500 to A07000 – 1965
A05000 to A10400 – 1966

Princeton AA964 (silverface)
A10000 to A11000 – 1967-68
A11000 to A15000 – 1969-70

Princeton Reverb AA1164 (blackface)
A00100 to A02100 – 1964
A02100 to A07500 – 1965
A05500 to A14500 – 1966
A14000 to A18700 – 1967

Princeton Reverb AA1164, B1270 (silverface)
A18500 to A19500 – 1967
A18900 to A21500 – 1968
A21500 to A25500 – 1969
A24000 to A25000 – 1970
A25000 to A26000 – 1971
A26000 to A27500 – 1972
A27500 to A30000 – 1973
A30000 to A32500 – 1974
A32500 to A34500 – 1975
A34500 to A36000 – 1976

Pro 5A5, 5B5, 5C5, 5D5 (tweed)
01 to 600 –  1948
600 to 1100 –  1949
1100 to 1700 –  1950
1700 to 2500 –  1951
2500 to 3500 –  1952
3500 to 4800 –  1953
4500 to 6000 –  1954

Pro 5E5, 5E5-A, 5E5-B (tweed)
S00100 to S00800 – 1955
S00800 to S01200 – 1956
S01200 to S01800 – 1957
S01700 to S02500 – 1958
S02500 to S03700 – 1959

Pro 5G5, 6G5, 6G5-A (brown)
00001 to 02400 – 1960
02300 to 05100 –  1961
49000 to 58000 – 1962
58000 to 59200 – 1963

Pro AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00001 to A01700 – 1963
A01400 to A08000 – 1964

Pro Reverb AA165 (blackface)
A00100 to A02700 – 1965
A02700 to A09200 – 1966
A07000 to A10200 – 1967

Pro Reverb AA1265, AB668, AA1069, AA270 (silverface)
A10000 to A10500 – 1967
A10500 to A12000 – 1968
A12000 to A13300 – 1969
A13400 to A14500 – 1970
A14500 to A15000 – 1971
A15000 to A15600 – 1972
A15600 to A17200 – 1973
A17200 to A19700 – 1974
A19700 to A20000 – 1975
A20000 to A21500 – 1976

Quad Reverb CFA7104 (silverface)
A33000 to A37000 – 1971
A37000 to A50500 – 1972
A50500 to A68000 – 1973
A68000 to A99999 – 1974
A81000 to A99999 – 1975
B01000 to B15000 – 1975
B15000 to B68000 – 1976

Reverb Unit 6G15 (brown, blonde, blackface)
R00100 to R00900 – 1961
R00900 to R02600 – 1962
R02600 to R04800 – 1963
R04800 to R07400 – 1964
R07400 to R09800 – 1965
R09800 to R11000 – 1966

Showman 6G14, 6G14-A (blonde)
00001 to 00350 –   1960
00200 to 00800 –  1961
00800 to 01500 –  1962
01500 to 01800 –  1963

Showman AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00100 to A01400 – 1963
A01400 to A01700 – 1964
A01700 to A04300 – 1965
A04300 to A08000 – 1966
A07800 to A12000 – 1967

Showman AB763 (silverface)
A12000 to A12500 – 1967
A12500 to A15000 – 1968

Super incl. Dual Professional (tweed)
01 to 400 – 1946-47
500 to 1200 – 1949-51
2000 to 4300 – 1952-53
4500 to 5500 – 1954
5500 to 6100 – 1955

Super 5E4, 5F4 (tweed)
S00100 to S00800 – 1955
S00800 to S01200 – 1956
S01200 to S01800 – 1957
S01700 to S02500 – 1958
S02500 to S03700 – 1959

Super 5G4, 6G4, 6G4-A (brown)
00001 to 02400 –   1960
02300 to 05100 –  1961
49000 to 58000 –  1962
58000 to 59200 –  1963

Super Reverb AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00100 to A00600 – 1963
A00600 to A06000 – 1964
A05900 to A13000 – 1965
A11000 to A20000 – 1966
A20000 to A27000 – 1967

Super Reverb AB763, AB568, AA1069, AA270 (silverface)
A26000 to A29000 – 1967
A27000 to A35000 – 1968
A35000 to A45000 – 1969
A45000 to A49000 – 1970
A48000 to A54000 – 1971
A54000 to A59000 – 1972
A59000 to A66000 – 1973
A66000 to A77000 – 1974
A75000 to A78000 – 1975
A78000 to A80000 – 1976

Super Six Reverb CFA7106 (silverface)
A33000 to A37000 – 1971
A37000 to A50500 – 1972
A50500 to A68000 – 1973
A68000 to A99999 – 1974
A81000 to A99999 – 1975
B01000 to B15000 – 1975
B15000 to B68000 – 1976

Tremolux 5E9, 5E9-A (tweed)
0001 to 00650 –  1955
00650 to 01000 –  1956
01000 to 01300 –  1957
01300 to 01700 –  1958
01700 to 02700 –  1959
02600 to 03300 –  1960

Tremolux 6G9, 6G9-A, 6G9-B (blonde)
00100 to 01000 –  1961
00900 to 04200 –  1962
04200 to 05900 –  1963

Tremolux AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00100 to A00500 – 1963
A00500 to A03700 – 1964
A03200 to A05700 – 1965
A05200 to A08000 – 1966

Twin 5C8, 5D8, 5D8-A, 5E8, 5E8-A (tweed)
001 to 500 – 1953-55A00200 to A00725 – 1956-57

Twin 5F8, 5F8-A (tweed)
A00010 to A00725 –  1957-59

Twin 6G8, 6G8-A (blonde)
00001 to 00100 –  1960
00100 to 00225 –  1961
00225 to 00400 –  1962
00400 to 00525 –  1963

Twin Reverb AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00100 to A01200 – 1964
A01200 to A04300 – 1965
A04300 to A07000 – 1966
A07000 to A10400 – 1967

Twin Reverb AB763, AC568, AA769, AA270 (silverface)
A10500 to A11300 – 1967
A10500 to A16500 – 1968
A16500 to A21400 – 1969
A21400 to A25600 – 1970
A25600 to A37000 – 1971
A37000 to A50500 – 1972
A50500 to A68000 – 1973
A68000 to A99999 – 1974
A81000 to A99999 – 1975
B01000 to B15000 – 1975
B15000 to B68000 – 19760100 to 3400 – 1970

Vibrasonic 6G13, 6G13-A (brown)
00001 to 00350 –  1960
00200 to 00800 –  1961
00800 to 01500 –  1962
01500 to 01800 –  1963

Vibro Champ AA764 (blackface)
A00100 to A02000 – 1964
A01200 to A08100 – 1965
A08100 to A16000 – 1966
A16000 to A20500 – 1967

Vibro Champ AA764 (silverface)
A19000 to A21000 – 1967
A20000 to A26000 – 1968
A25000 to A28000 – 1969
A28000 to A29000 – 1970
A29000 to A32000 – 1971
A32000 to A35000 – 1972
A33000 to A39000 – 1973
A39000 to A42000 – 1974
A42000 to A51000 – 1975
A51000 to A53000 – 1976

Vibrolux 5F11 (tweed)
F00001 to F00300 – 1956
F00300 to F00900 – 1957
F00900 to F01500 – 1958
F01500 to F02800 – 1959
F02800 to F04000 – 1960
F04100 to F04400 – 1961

Vibrolux 6G11, 6G11-A (brown)
00100 to 00700 – 1961
00700 to 03700 – 1962
03400 to 05500 – 1963

Vibrolux AA763 (blackface)
A00100 to A01300 – 1964

Vibrolux Reverb AA864 (blackface)
A00100 to A00800 – 1964
A00800 to A03600 – 1965
A03600 to A08300 – 1966
A08300 to A10700 – 1967

Vibrolux Reverb AA864, AA964, AB568, AA270 (silverface)
A10700 to A11000 – 1967
A11000 to A12000 – 1968
A12000 to A13700 – 1969
A13700 to A23400 – 1970
A23400 to A24500 – 1971
A24500 to A25000 – 1972
A25000 to A27000 – 1973
A27000 to A31500 – 1974
A31500 to A33000 – 1975
A33000 to A34000 – 1976

Vibrosonic Reverb (silverface)
A44000 to A50500 – 1972
A50500 to A68000 – 1973
A68000 to A99999 – 1974
A81000 to A99999 – 1975
B01000 to B15000 – 1975
B15000 to B68000 – 1976

Vibroverb 6G16 (brown)
00100 to 00600 – 1963

Vibroverb AA763, AB763 (blackface)
A00100 to A05300 – 1964

Typical Speakers found inside most Fender Amps:

Bandmaster 5C7, 5D7 (wide panel): Jensen P15N
Bandmaster 5E7, 6G7 (3×10): Jensen P10R, P10Q, Oxford 12K5R-1
Bandmaster 6G7-A: Oxford 12M6, Jensen C12N
Bandmaster AB763 and silverface: Oxford 12T6, Jensen C12N, Utah 12″
Bandmaster Reverb Silverface: Oxford, Utah 12″Bantam Bass Silverface: Yamaha trapezoidal
Bassman 5B6, 5C6: Jensen P15NBassman 5D6, 5E6-A, 5F6, 5F6-A: Jensen P10R, P10Q
Bassman 6G6 , 6G6-A, 6G6-B: Oxford 12M6; Jensen C12NBassman AA864, AA165: Oxford 12T6; Jensen C12N; Utah ceramic
Bassman Silverface: Oxford 12T6; Utah; Rola
Bassman Ten Silverface: CTS 10″ ceramic
Champ 5C1, 5D1: Cleveland 6″ alnico, Jensen P6T
Champ 5E1, 5F1: Oxford 8EV; Jensen P8T; CTS 8″ alnico
Champ AA764, silverface: Oxford 8EV
Concert 5G12, 6G12: Jensen P10R, P10Q
Concert 6G12-A: Jensen P10R, P10Q, C10R; Oxford 10K5
Concert AB763: Oxford 10K5, 10L5; Utah V10LXC1
Deluxe 5B3, 5C3, 5D3: Jensen P12R
Deluxe 5E3: Jensen P12R, P12Q
Deluxe 6G3, AB763: Oxford 12K5-6
Harvard 5F10, 6G10: Jensen P10R
Musicmaster Bass Silverface: CTS 12″ ceramic; Oxford 126PJ4
Quad Reverb Silverface: Oxford 12T6; Utah V12PC; Rola
Princeton 5C2, 5D2, 5F2, 5F2-A:Jensen P8T; Oxford 8EV; Cleveland 8″
Princeton 6G2, AA964: Oxford 10J4; Jensen C10R
Princeton Silverface: Oxford 10J4
Princeton Reverb AA1164: Oxford 10J4, 10L5; Jensen C10R, C10N
Princeton Reverb Silverface: Oxford 10J4; CTS
Pro 5A5: Jensen F15N (field coil), P15N
Pro 5B5, 5C5, 5D5: Jensen P15N
Pro 5E5, 5E5-A: Jensen P15N
Pro 6G5, 6G5-A: Jensen P15N; Oxford 15M6
Pro AB763: Jensen C15P; CTS 15″ ceramic
Pro Reverb AA165: Jensen C12N; Oxford 12L6
Pro Reverb Silverface: Oxford 12L6, 12T6; Utah, Rola 12″ ceramic
Showman 12 6G14, 6G14-A, AB763: JBL D120F with tone ring
Showman 6G14, 6G14-A, AB763: JBL D130F with tone ring
DualShowman AB763: JBL D130F
Dual Showman Rev Silverface: JBL D130F
Super 5B4, 5C4, 5D4, 5E4, 5E4-A: Jensen P10R
Super 5F4: Jensen P10R, P10Q
Super 6G4, 6G4-A: Jensen P10R, P10Q; Oxford 10K5
Super Reverb AA763, early AB763: Jensen C10R
Super Reverb AB763, silverface: CTS 10″ alnico or ceramic; Oxford 10L6; Rola 10″ ceramic
Super Six Reverb Silverface: Oxford 10L6; CTS 10″ alnico
Tremolux 5E9-A: Jensen P12R; P12Q
Tremolux 6G9, 6G9-A: Jensen P10Q or Oxford 10K5R w/tone ring
Tremolux 6G9-B: Oxford 10K5
Tremolux AB763: Oxford 10K5, 10L5; CTS 10″ ceramic
Twin 5C8, 5D8, 5E8-A: Jensen P12R; P12Q
Twin 5F8, 6G8: Jensen P12N
Twin 6G8, 6G8-A: Jensen P12N; Oxford 12M6
Twin Reverb AB763: Jensen C12N; Oxford 12T6
Twin Reverb Silverface: Oxford 12T6; EV; Gauss; Utah; Rola
Vibro Champ/Bronco: Oxford 8EV
Vibrolux 5E11, 5F11: Jensen P10R
Vibrolux 6G11, 6G11-A, AB763: Oxford 12L6, 12M6
Vibrolux Reverb AA864, AA964: Jensen C10Q; Oxford 10L5
Vibrolux Reverb Silverface: Oxford 10L5; CTS 10″ alnico
Vibrasonic 5G13, 6G13-A: JBL D130, D130F
Vibrosonic Reverb Silverface: JBL D130F, K130F; Gauss; EV
Vibroverb 6G16: Oxford 10K5
Vibroverb AA763, AB763: JBL D130F; Jensen C15N; CTS 15″ ceramic

Homesick Mac’s 1st annual Guitar Retreat

June 8, 2012

| Author: Vintage & Rare

Our friends from Sanden Guitars would like to endorse Homesick Mac. This July he is hosting 1st annual Guitar Retreat in Sweden. Please help us spread Mac’s message through your community. It’s very much appreciated.

Below you can read his message and a video that Nicolai from Vintage & Rare recorded with Sanden Guitars and Homesick Mac.

Sanden Guitars / Homesick Mac Baritone Signature

For more information please visit www.homesickmac.com/retreat/Homesick_Macs_site_updates/English.html .

Would you like to add something? Please leave a comment…

The Paganini Il Cannone Guarnerious violin – legendary!!

January 13, 2012

| Author: Vintage & Rare

Paganini Il Cannone Guarnerious

Paganini is often described as the world’s first virtuoso and is still widely recognized as one of the greatest ever. While the story of Paganini’s life story is fascinating reading the story of his favorite violin – his “Il Cannone” (The Canon) is no less so.

Niccoló Paganini (1782-1840) achieved massive fame throughout Europe and was the most celebrated virtuosi of his time, and today he is considered the father of modern day violin techniques. Sadly he lived before the time of recordings, but this rendition of one of his most famous pieces – his Caprice No. 24 – should give you an idea of what his musical and technical prowess could produce. The artist seen is Alexander Markov.

Originally Paganini played a valuable Amati violin. This however he lost in a bet as he was heavily addicted to gambling. Instead a generous businessman and amateur violinist donated him a neglected Guarneri violin. The instrument distinguished itself by having lots a resonance and a booming quality which immediately attracted Paganini. He named it “Il Cannone” – The Canon, and it was on this violin he wrote some of his fastest pieces which require advance technique and performance at breakneck speed.

“Il Cannone” after Paganini

Upon his death Paganini donated “Il Cannone” to the Italian town of Genoa who still holds the violin at the Palazzo Doria Tursi. It is now considered a national treasure. All the principle parts of the violin are still intact a unique fact in itself, considering that this instrument dates back to 1742-43. Notice that it doesn’t have any chin rest, and instead the varnish which also is the original coating has rubbed of. This is due to the fact that Paganini like his contemporaries didn’t use a chin rest. Instead they rested their head directly on the sounding board.

The violin is supervised by a panel of experts. Among them is Mario Trabucco who is charged with playing the instrument regularly and Bruce Carlson, a violinmaker in charge of the conservation. Every year Genoa hosts a violin contest and the winner gets to play the masterpiece so thankfully this masterpiece has not been reduced to a museum artifact. Rarely it’s lended to guest cities with requirements of police escorts and multimillion dollar insurance policies. It can be heard on jazz-violinist Regina Carters “Paganini: After a dream”.

On the following video you can see Il Cannone in live action. The video features Israeli violinist Shlomo Mintz playing Paganinis Violin Concerto.

While Vintage & Rare can’t boast of having a genuine Guaneri on sale we have an excelent replica made by danish luthier Robert Knudsen. The violin is available through our partner Hertz Music based in Denmark.

Robert Knudsen Guaneri Model 1739 Violin

Peter Frampton and the doomed 1954 Gibson Les Paul

January 6, 2012

| Author: Vintage & Rare

From time to time the unthinkable happens. We all know somebody who knows somebody it has happened to. And we all retell the story to friends and familiars with quacking voices, shivering hands and fear painted in our eyes. I’m talking about a musician’s ultimate nightmare: The losing of your favorite instrument. This was exactly what happened to guitar legend Peter Frampton in November 1980 when a cargo plane carrying his precious 1954 Gibson Les Paul crashed during takeoff in Caracas, Venezuela tragically killing the pilot and co-pilot.

The master piece seen on the picture to the left was presumed lost for 31 years until it finally reemerged last month having spent just over three decades on a little Dutch Caribbean Island called Curaçao. So what happened?
In 2010 (before the reemerging) Frampton gave an interview to rumerz.com as his Gibson signature model of the very same guitar hit the market. Frampton traces the history of how he came in possession of his ’54 Les Paul and it’s clear that he was still dealing with the loss at this point:

[rumerz.com]

What is it about your black Gibson Les Paul that you love so much? How did it come about for you to release a signature model with Gibson?
[Frampton] “The original black Les Paul that I had was when I was playing with Humble Pie supporting the Grateful Dead in San Francisco back in ’70 or so. I had swapped a Gibson SG for a Gibson 335, a semi-acoustic. With the loud levels we used to play, when I turned it up for solos, the sound was just all over the place, whistling feedback, you know. There was someone at the concert that heard the problem, and he offered to let me borrow his Les Paul for the next show. I told him I’d never had luck with a Les Paul and that I preferred SG’s. He brought it ’round to the coffee shop the following day, and it was this 1954 Les Paul. I played it that night. He had re-routed it for three pickups instead of two and it was recently refinished by Gibson. It looked brand new. I don’t think my feet touched the ground the whole evening. It was just such an amazing guitar. I came off stage and told him thank you, and asked if he’d ever want to sell it, and thanks so much. He said he didn’t want to sell it to me, but he offered to give it to me. He gave it to me. Mark Mariana is his name. We keep in touch even today. Unfortunately in 1980, we had a disastrous plane crash with all our gear on it in Caracas, Venezuela. The pilot and co-pilot were lost, and their loss was very tough. Their lives meant so much more than that guitar. I’m not saying I don’t miss it, but it was a piece of wood compared to their lives.”

“Cut all the way forward. When I moved to Nashville about 13 years ago, I used to go hang out at Gibson. It was like my club, and I’d go hang out with the luthiers. I made a lot of friends at Gibson. Mike McGuire, the head of the custom shop, suggested one day that they should make a Peter Frampton model. We spent a year working together on trying to make it as much like the original as we could. I tried to give him as much information as I could from what it felt like, and they came so close. I love my guitar. It’s probably nothing like the other one, but I love what they did for me. We’re over 500 made now, and the PF Custom is out there and the collectors love it.”

Little did Frampton know that while this interview was being made heavy negotiation was going on between the local Curaçao musician who had the instrument, Mr. Balentina – a local customs agent who spends his spare time repairing guitars, a hardcore Frampton fan from the Netherlands as well as the head of Curaçao’s tourist board Ghatim Kabbara. Confused?
Well apparently the guitar was saved from the burning wreckage of the plane and sold to a local musician from Curaçao. For the last 30 years the still unidentified musician has been using it playing hotels and bars on the Island totally unaware of the instruments history. Two years ago he handed the piece in to free time guitar repairman Donald Balentina. N.Y. Times’ James C. McKinley JR. tells the story:

Asked to repair the guitar, Mr. Balentina noticed the unusual third set of pickups and burn marks on the neck, Mr. Kabbara said. The customs agent began to suspect the guitar might be the one Mr. Frampton had played on the “Frampton Comes Alive!” album. He consulted with another Frampton fan in the Netherlands, who confirmed it had all the earmarks of the missing Gibson. Mr. Balentina also sent photos of the inner works of the guitar to Mr. Frampton. Mr. Frampton said he was stunned when he saw the photos; it looked like guitar, he said, but he could not be sure.

For two years Mr. Balentina tried to persuade the local guitarist to sell the instrument, and finally, in November, facing a financial problem, he finally agreed. But Mr. Balentina did not have money and, afraid another buyer might scoop up the guitar, he approached Mr. Kabbara at the tourist board.

Mr. Kabbara, an amateur guitarist who admires Mr. Frampton, agreed to put up the board’s funds to purchase the guitar, on one condition. He and Mr. Balentina would take the guitar to Mr. Frampton as a gesture of goodwill. “I thought the right thing to do was to give him back his guitar,” he said. “This guitar was him. The whole 1970s was this guitar.”

Mr. Frampton, who is 61, said he hopes to play the guitar again when he appears at the Beacon Theater in New York in February. For now, he has left the instrument at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville to have some minor repairs made. The neck is still straight, he said, but he must replace old pickups with new ones, made to the same specifications as the original coils. But he said he will leave the burn marks and scrapes alone. “I want it to have its battle scars,” he said.

Ca. a month ago Mr. Kabbara managed to seal the deal via public funds and travelled to Nashville to hand over the guitar to Frampton. The moment he picked it up he knew it was the same ’54 Gibson Les Paul he almost exclusively had used throughout the 70’ies most notably perhaps on his 1976 breakthrough “Frampton Comes Alive!”. In a phone interview with N.Y. Times Frampton states: “For 30 years, it didn’t exist – it went up in a puff of smoke as far as I was concerned.”. As seen on the picture a clearly very happy Frampton is now reunited with his long lost love. To his webpage Frampton states:

“I am still in a state of shock, first off, that the guitar even exists let alone, that it has been returned to me. I know I have my guitar back, but I will never forget the lives that were lost in this crash. I am so thankful for the efforts of those who made this possible…And, now that it is back I am going insure it for 2 million dollars and it’s never going out of my sight again! It was always my #1 guitar and it will be reinstated there as soon as possible — some minor repairs are needed. And, I just can’t wait to get Mark Mariana on the phone.”

V&R like to congratulate Frampton for getting his prized possession back after all these years and also send a big thanks to Frank Gross from Thunder Road Guitars for making us aware of this story.

Grinning Elk interview with Ray Mauldin from Grinning Elk

January 4, 2012

| Author: Vintage & Rare

Hi Ray, thank you for taking your time to speak to us. Could you please tell as a little bit about Grinning Elk? Where are you located?
Lee and I have been attending shows together since 2000. At the time, I owned an electronics repair service and was well- established here in my hometown. Lee walked into my office one day and as we were talking, I asked him, “What exactly do you do, Man”? He answered, “I buy and sell vintage guitars”. Well, I had always been a gear junkie, having played in various bands around Atlanta for years and I thought that his answer sounded very intriguing, so I asked if I could go to a show with him sometimes. He said, “Sure” so in October 2000, we drove out to the Arlington, Texas show and on the way back, the idea of forming a company was born. Our office is in Douglasville, Ga., which is about 20 miles West of Atlanta.

What initially motivated you to set up a music store, and when was that?
We don’t have what is referred to as a “brick and mortar” store. We are primarily a web- based business and have an appointment only office where clients can set up a time to come and visit. Our office and company was officially opened in Sept. 2006.

In EU the current Gibson case “lacey act” has gotten a lot of attention, what is your perspective on shipping between US & EU? Have you had any problems regarding this case so far?
Not yet. In the last year, we have been asked to send only two guitars that had Brazilian Rosewood overseas. Both were vintage Martins and we decided that rather than take a chance on them being confiscated, we would sell them here in the U.S. Thankfully, our clients understood and the guitars sold easily here.

Do you play music yourself? If so, what do you play, for how long have you been doing it?
I have been playing bass since about 1987, which was right after I got out of the Army. Lee’s been playing guitar since the late 70’s, when he was in high school. I think he even won a talent show back then, so he obviously got an earlier start than I did. He’s a much more accomplished musician than I am. He’s taller too.

The Elk Nation….James Hetfield….could you tell us a bit more about that?
That was one of the best days of my life. It was a Sunday and I was lying on my couch, watching TV.  Metallica was playing Atlanta that night and was thinking I’d get tickets down at the arena right before the show started. Lee called me up and said, “Pull out those two Flying V’s and the ’65 Strat. We might be showing them to the guys in Metallica this afternoon”. I probably said something like “Yeah, sure we are” but he insisted that I get up off my comfortable couch and get ready.  So I begrudgingly did as he asked, thinking that this was a cruel joke because you just didn’t get to go meet Metallica on a Sunday afternoon, but sure as shootin’, two hours later, we were standing at the service entrance to Phillips Arena with those guitars in hand. James’ guitar tech, Zak took us into a room where we laid the guitars out and it wasn’t long before Hetfield walked in and started checking them out. He eventually bought the white ’75 Flying V. We later showed the Strat to Kirk Hammett, but he said it was too clean and “not vibey enough”. Go figure that one out!

What do you consider the biggest challenge for dealers of musical instruments today?
I think the most difficult part of our business today is completing a deal over the telephone or by email. It’s a challenge to sell a piece to someone that is halfway around the world with only a written description or with words spoken on the phone. We want to make sure that the guitar or bass being discussed is exactly what our client is looking for and will fit his or her needs. The last thing we want is to mail a guitar across the planet only to have it come back.  We try to do all of the legwork and preparation before the guitar goes out so that when it arrives at its new home, the customer opens the case and says “wow”. That’s our goal with every transaction.

How do you choose what products to carry?
That’s another challenge in itself. We are so picky when it comes to condition and originality, the pool of instruments we will consider buying is a small one. We want them all to be as close to new as possible and completely original. Every once in a while, we’ll purchase a guitar that might have broken solder joints or a replaced nut, but it’s a rare occasion. There’s even a term that’s been coined in our industry- “Elk clean”. I hear it all the time at the shows we attend and I’d like to think that it refers to best of the best.

What is the oddest guitar you’ve ever sold?
A few years ago, at the Philadelphia Guitar Show, we bought a 1986 Kramer Triax that was virtually unplayed. It was flip- flop pink and had its original flight case and all of the tags.  Very cool and very 80’s!

Do you have any personal favorite guitars in your shop? If so, why is said guitar your favorite?
My favorite guitars are usually basses, so at the moment, it’s a Rickenbacker 4003s8. It’s an 8- string bass in Desert Gold that was made as a “color of the year” piece in 2001. There can’t be more than one or two in the world. In terms of favorite guitars, we have the first Murphy- aged Les Paul ever made at Gibson and it’s one of the most authentic looking ’59 reissues we’ve ever seen. I think Lee’s got that one stashed away somewhere so I can’t get my hands on it.

Given that this is for a blog, what role has technology (the internet, your website, etc.) played in the success of your business?
Well, it has exposed us to the entire world. Anybody, anywhere with a little electricity, an internet connection or a smart phone can look at our inventory and buy from us. Think about it: prior to the establishment of the internet, most guitar dealers sold their gear from a store and if they did have any national or international exposure, it would have been through magazine advertisements. Now, you can place a banner on a forum and be seen by literally millions of visitors to that forum a year.  I once sold a 1967 Stratocaster to a gentleman in Belgium from my Blackberry, sitting in the parking lot of a local post office. You couldn’t do that ten years ago.

Is there a general trend to the people who purchase from you, in terms of how skilled or experienced they are?
The majority of our clients are professionals, serious collectors and higher- end musicians. They know their stuff when they call, they like what they see on our website so generally, the only thing left to discuss is price. The gear we have speaks for itself.

What advice would you give to somebody looking to purchase a guitar from you?
If you’ve never heard of us, check us out. Another important aspect of the internet is, if you consistently perform at a high level, people will say so. The various forums have become powerful mediums and people all over the world talk about their purchases, experiences, etc. If you make just one person unhappy, they will certainly say something about it somewhere. Your reputation is the most important thing your company can have. It’s everything.

Any famous last words?
Sure. It’s a Latin saying: “audentes fortuna iuvat, which means “Fortune Favors the Bold”. Or, on a lighter note, Two Elks are always better than one…

In 2010 V&R visited Arlington Guitar Show and Ray was kind enough to introduce us to some of his pieces: (The interview with Ray Mauldin starts at 1:43)

A selection of Grinning Elk pieces:
Korina Explorer R9
Gibson ES330T
Rickenbacker 660/12 Tom Petty
Gibson USA map guitar

Fender Stratocaster 1963 Jimi Hendrix owned

March 28, 2011

| Author: Vintage & Rare

This Fender Stratocaster serial L14985 was manufactured in 1963. It  was owned  and used by Jimi Hendrix, and comes with a notarized letter from his brother, Leon Hendrix, which indicates, that Jimi had this guitar at his home in Benedict Canyon, L.A, in 1968, and that he used it in Juggy Sound studios in New York.

Check this incredible guitar out here

The package also includes an additional letter from Leon with more info: that the guitar was subsequently given to the studio owner and was used as an in-house instrument until the owner’s passing. Furthermore it also comes with photos of Leon holding and playing this guitar. This is a real “insider” guitar with an unique provenance, signed and notarized, from Jimi’s own brother, Leon Hendrix.

It’s the real deal!

Fibenare Guitars

March 3, 2011

| Author: Vintage & Rare

On Winter NAMM 2011 we had the pleasure of meeting Gábor Goldschmidt from renowned Hungarian guitar company, Fibenare Guitars.
Gábor tells us about the Fibenare company and shows us their new beautiful line of guitars.
Fibenare Guitars was founded by the Benedek Brothers, Attila, Csaba and Árpád

All of the Benedek familily are musicians and have all studied classical music throughout the years in their hometown, Kecskemét.
Thanks to its musical tradition, Kecskemét is well-known all over the world for its musical education and Zoltán KODÁLY. His approach and methods are used today in more than 50 countries world wide.!

Around 1990, The Benedek Brothers was encouraged by their father, József Benedek, to start building their own guitars. From early on the three brothers were very interested in rock, blues, jazz and ofcourse electric guitars – because of the iron curtain Gibson and Fender guitars were very expensive and good ones were very hard to find around this time.
At VintageandRare we are proud to be working with Fibenare Guitars and hope this video will inspire you.

All the best,
Nicolai & team.

Ruokangas Guitars – interview

February 16, 2011

| Author: Vintage & Rare

Next one up in our series of interviews with luthiers is Juha Ruokangas, who for the last 16 years has been an increasingly inspiring player on the guitar building-scene. Vintageandrare.com had a chat with Juha about the qualities of their unique wood and Ruokangas way of advertising for themselves.

Juha Ruokangas – Photo by Ruokangas.com

1. Hello Juha, and thanks for wanting to talk to us!  What made you enter the business?
As a teen I was supposed to become a rockstar – what else! My musician career didn’t pick up the way I hoped so I was kind of drifting around for a couple of years. This was in the beginning of 1990′s – no internet or even cellphones yet invented. I had been repairing guitars a bit since I was a young guy but it just never occurred to me that this could be a profession – until I accidentally heard about this small school in Finland where you can learn to be a luthier / guitarmaker. I applied and got in – and I knew immediately that I had found my true calling. This is my labor of love, truly. And now more than ever I feel I’m on the right path, as the company has grown to a very comfortable size, we’re 5 persons all together and everyone of us enjoys what we’re doing.

2. How did you come up with the idea for your very clever online guitar builder?
I started making guitars for a living in 1995, and I noticed very soon that one of the biggest problems was how to communicate with the customer about all possible options we can offer – and once the option lists were presented, in many cases the result was that the customer was literally paralyzed – so many options, how can the customer be sure to pick the right combination when there’s no chance to even see how it will look like. So I did like everybody else, kept building guitars, and my early website photo galleries grew slowly bigger. And of course I noticed that players are ordering guitars many times on basis what they saw in the galleries – and this was bugging me, cause I knew they would order a wider variety of colors and other specs – if they just knew that they could! So I started a huge website project in 2002 with a great graphics designer and he built me the Mark I of the guitar builder. It was nowhere near as complex a system as what we have now, but it did give us a head start. Now we have the Mark II guitar builder online and it works beautifully. We even published a little iPhone app guitar builder sort of as a teaser of the fully blooded system on our website.

3. How was the first guitar you ever made?
I was told by my teachers that a good start in learning this profession is to learn building what’s already out there. That way you learn the basics, the existing techniques, constructions etc. So I started with a strat replica. I’ve built quite a few of various kinds of replicas in the early days of my career. Stratocasters, Telecasters, Les Pauls etc.

4. Which instrument has made you most proud?
There are so many. Every one of them still feels quite special to me, but of course every now and then there’s something that’s pops out. I’m very proud of the first Unicorn guitar I built. Not only the guitar, but the whole documentation of the design process in the YouTube videos we made. It enabled me to show in detail why my guitars are special. I hadn’t realized the power of videos before that really. Nowadays we do a lot of videos, it’s a great way to be transparent to the clientele.

Ruokangas HQ – Photo from Ruokangas.com

5. What has been your biggest challenge?
I would say that the whole process of starting the business and striving to be the best I ever can – now there’s a big challenge! I’m such a hopeless, romantic idealist that sometimes it drives everybody at the shop crazy. I love to finetune endlessly the whole concept of what ‘Ruokangas Guitars’ is about – and sometimes this happens at the expense of forgetting that we need to sell guitars all the time to survive financially!

6. What made you pick the Arctic Birch for some of your guitars? What is it’s features?
This was a coincidence. I got a piece of beautifully flamed birch from a friend and it was laying around at the shop for quite a while. Then I ended up using the piece on one of the Duke guitars 1999. I completely fell in love with the tone and the unique looks – flamed but not in the same way as maple. Since then I’ve come a long way. The birch we use is quite difficult to find since it’s not such an organized business as revolves around maple in the North America. I can’t call any wood broker for AAA flamed birch tops. I need to go to the sawmills, pick the trees standing up and so on – all totally from scratch. The use of Finnish Arctic Birch has become our most distinct trademark on the market, and I’m really proud of it. Structurally, Finnish Arctic birch is very close to maple. The weight and color are similar to maple as well. The flamed figuration is usually “wilder” than maple. I prefer the birch tone over maple, especially when used in a combination with our other trademark wood, the Spanish Cedar.

The raucous Ruokangas rockers – Photo by www.ruokangas.com

7. Do you feel it as an advantage having so vast amounts of beautiful timber close at hand, being Finnish?
I feel really proud of being able to offer some domestic wood species in my guitars. In some ways it’s an advantage, but also a challenge, knowing how conservative the business is. It’s not so easy to break through with a non-traditional material in this business. I’ve worked on it for nearly 16 years now and only during the last few years I feel the work has started to pay off, as the guitar enthusiasts have seen me around long enough doing what I do.

8. What is your favourite stage of manufacturing a guitar?
The devil is in the details. I love working on the intricate details and to make everything perfect. I don’t mean necessarily an inlay work or anything as striking as that. It could be just the fretboard edge, fret end, nut bone – or whatever detail. Building guitars can be a very “therapeutic” profession – you start building a guitar, and one day not in the too distant future you get it ready – it’s a very rewarding process mentally.

Juha and his work – Photo by www.ruokangas.com

9. What are your ambitions on behalf of Ruokangas?
It’s interesting that even though Emma (my wife) and I work together in the company, we also share our hobbies – so we’re basically never apart! 🙂 We’re both music enthusiasts – we have a rock band called Tadalang – I play the guitar and Emma sings. My brother plays the bass and we have also another guitarist and of course drums. We’re gigging locally and having fun. I love motorbikes too. Rest of the time is more or less family stuff, nice and cosy.